Do you eat the same food every week?
Discussion
I was just thinking I must go to the supermarket tomorrow, but I am so fed up of buying what seems to be the same food every week.
Obviously this is not strictly the case but I probably seem to have about 10 evening meals that get rotated, and some used more frequently than others.
Is it just me or is this a habit everyone has become used to perhaps because we are a little lazy after a day at work.
Before I go shopping can anyone suggest to me some tasty meals to break my routine. I'm looking for sensible day to day stuff where a meal can be prepared inside 40 mins and doesn't cost the earth!
Obviously this is not strictly the case but I probably seem to have about 10 evening meals that get rotated, and some used more frequently than others.
Is it just me or is this a habit everyone has become used to perhaps because we are a little lazy after a day at work.
Before I go shopping can anyone suggest to me some tasty meals to break my routine. I'm looking for sensible day to day stuff where a meal can be prepared inside 40 mins and doesn't cost the earth!
Proper pasta carbonara is easy to do, quick, and cheap. None of that packet sauce, mind: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/spaghet...
Then I'll try a simple cassoulet: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513568
A bit of a winter dish really, but I love it.
A bit of a winter dish really, but I love it.
Even when trying to be healthy there are so many variations on just Chicken+carb its unbelievable. Chilli, tomato, mushrooms, noodles, pasta, peppers, onions, garlic, cous cous, aspargus, mange tous, ginger, etc etc etc..... most of my sauces are tomato based but then built up with combinations of the above and more.
Something as simple as using the same ingredients in very different quantities can create brilliant new dishes.... I love cooking and eat something pretty damned nice just about every night using simple ingredients. Tomato & Onion are the two things I couldn't live without! My latest trend is the aforementioned with Chorizo & Paprika... lovely jubbly. Garnish with Feta to be a little unhealthy
Something as simple as using the same ingredients in very different quantities can create brilliant new dishes.... I love cooking and eat something pretty damned nice just about every night using simple ingredients. Tomato & Onion are the two things I couldn't live without! My latest trend is the aforementioned with Chorizo & Paprika... lovely jubbly. Garnish with Feta to be a little unhealthy
Edited by trackdemon on Saturday 31st May 00:07
We have a core of about 80+ we chop and change between. Really, there is no excuse for only haveing 10 reciepes.
Ok, say you got some chicken, a tin of tomatoes and some onion as 3 core ingredients.
First night you could do a dead simple Italian style mushroom and tomato sauce, finely chop up the onion, bit of parsley, cook up the chicken and serve on pasta.
Second night you could do a light, fragrant southern indian style dish, spinach, tomato, chicken mince, few spices and serve on rice. Just lightly cook it all in a frying pan
Third night, could do a greek style chicken dish. Actual chicken pieces are great for this. Potato, red onion, capsicum, chicken in the tray, oregano, pour the tin of tomato in, sprinkle some paprika over the top and away you go.
Ok, say you got some chicken, a tin of tomatoes and some onion as 3 core ingredients.
First night you could do a dead simple Italian style mushroom and tomato sauce, finely chop up the onion, bit of parsley, cook up the chicken and serve on pasta.
Second night you could do a light, fragrant southern indian style dish, spinach, tomato, chicken mince, few spices and serve on rice. Just lightly cook it all in a frying pan
Third night, could do a greek style chicken dish. Actual chicken pieces are great for this. Potato, red onion, capsicum, chicken in the tray, oregano, pour the tin of tomato in, sprinkle some paprika over the top and away you go.
There are lots of things you can do with Radishes; and you can grow them easily so avoid a trip to the supermarket. Ditto many other salads,especially tomatoes now that summer is here. Maybe just pick up a few olives, crusty bread and some goats cheese to give a mediterranean feel and of course, wine.
Or Grappa, so I have heard but couldn't bring myself to try it personally. I understand the combination can bring on hallucinations of large black and white cats. Or so it appears from observing certain PH contributors.
The real trick is to do one of two things - either spend far too much buying exotic food and drink that goes old and has to be thrown, or start buying wholemeal pasta and brown rice and stuff on an 'organic' whim; either way your wife/partner will forbid you to shop again. Works for me.
The real trick is to do one of two things - either spend far too much buying exotic food and drink that goes old and has to be thrown, or start buying wholemeal pasta and brown rice and stuff on an 'organic' whim; either way your wife/partner will forbid you to shop again. Works for me.
Fristly for MrRobin33, it is a great theory at least, but you are lucky enough not to have tried my wifes cooking! It is far safer I do the weekly shop or we would be living on tinned beefburgers and mixed veg!
Mercemployee...you make it all sound so easy! Its what I tend to do when I am feeling lazy.
Mercemployee...you make it all sound so easy! Its what I tend to do when I am feeling lazy.
How about collecting recipes that take your fancy in a blank notebook? At the beginning of each week, flick through the book, and select what you think you may like to eat for the coming 7 days. Nine times out of ten, the ingredients that you buy can be combined in many different ways. During the week you end up with a range of things you can cook, not just the dishes you selected initially. www.bbc.co.uk/food is also useful as you can type in a selection of ingredients and the recipe finder will come up with choices of what you can make from them.
As I live alone it can be more of "Do you eat the same food ALL week" as I don't tend to use the freezer and just eat leftovers with different veg (curried whole chicken of various recipies). Other weeks I'll mix between steak, salmon, gammon, lamb chops, mackerel etc with either breads or potatoes amd a green veg. Sort of depends on what I fancy really. Raided the freezer tonight for a chilli with baked potato and courgettes 
There's always Spam of course, which can be prepared in a number of fantastic ways. Build up through the week to a feast of spam fritters for Sunday lunch.
Free Spam samples were the highlight of a recent NASCAR outing to Tennessee. Left it in the 100 degree sun for a couple of hours and it made a nice slimey, slightly fizzy mid afternoon snack.
Free Spam samples were the highlight of a recent NASCAR outing to Tennessee. Left it in the 100 degree sun for a couple of hours and it made a nice slimey, slightly fizzy mid afternoon snack.
mrobin33 said:
There's always Spam of course, which can be prepared in a number of fantastic ways. Build up through the week to a feast of spam fritters for Sunday lunch.
Free Spam samples were the highlight of a recent NASCAR outing to Tennessee. Left it in the 100 degree sun for a couple of hours and it made a nice slimey, slightly fizzy mid afternoon snack.
Free Spam samples were the highlight of a recent NASCAR outing to Tennessee. Left it in the 100 degree sun for a couple of hours and it made a nice slimey, slightly fizzy mid afternoon snack.
grumbledoak said:
Then I'll try a simple cassoulet: http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/513568
A bit of a winter dish really, but I love it.
I'm a bit sceptical... do the dried haricots really cook in just 40 minutes in a casserole in the oven? I'd have thought an hour in a saucepan, followed off by finishing in the oven (wich the chicken on top so it gors brown & crispy). At leastthat's how I make cassoulet.A bit of a winter dish really, but I love it.
Even better made with cubed belly pork and duck legs which you can easily get in the supermarket these days.
saxmund said:
I'm a bit sceptical... do the dried haricots really cook in just 40 minutes in a casserole in the oven? I'd have thought an hour in a saucepan, followed off by finishing in the oven (wich the chicken on top so it gors brown & crispy). At leastthat's how I make cassoulet.
recipe said:
1. Place the haricot beans in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight, then drain.
Or, drain a tin of them!Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff